Tips to Ensure Good Brain Development of your Child
Are you worried about your child’s brain development? You are, right? Every parent wants their child to have good mental development in all four areas: cognitive, motor, social and emotional, and communication and language. So, how do you get started? Well, it starts even before your child is born, when the baby is in your womb. That means you need to eat healthily, be active, and talk to your baby, as it helps develop their brain.
After the baby is born, until they are three years old, they need the most help and push to develop their brain skills, whether mental, emotional, cognitive, or motor. So, how can you go about it? With these simple tips mentioned below.
Sing along with your child
Sing to or with your baby or toddler to encourage brain development. Even with your newborn baby, face them and sing to them. You will see them responding in baby voices and expressions, which you should imitate to encourage them to indulge in more activities.
For your toddler, you should sing multiple songs to them, both slow and soft, that will engage them and help develop their brain.
Build something with them
It helps your child’s brain development when you help them build something, such as a kid’s tree house or assemble a cubby house. How? They pick up the various parts and tools, which helps with their motor skills. Then, they look at the design and figure out how to assemble the parts, which helps their cognitive and mental development. Thus, building things with your kids is the perfect way to stimulate their brain development. When you buy cubby houses online, ensure they are unassembled and according to the child’s liking.
Read with them and to them.
One of the best ways to encourage their child’s brain development is to read with them or to them. When your child is an infant, start reading to him or her from that time on, as it helps your child recognize words or letters, which helps develop their communication and language skills. Point at objects in a book and tell them their meaning to help them connect the dots in their minds. As they grow, point at pictures in the book and ask where the dog or horse is. Ask them to read after you when they start speaking to help them identify words and languages.
Take them outdoors
Take your child outdoors in nature to play and explore when a child is surrounded by greenery rather than a screen, the chances of developing mental disorders later in life decrease.
So, take them outside to play, ride a bike, jump up and down on a trampoline, and more. It helps develop all four areas of their mind as they meet other kids, engage with them, and interact with them, helping them be more social. Then, take them by the lake and let them play in the water, mud, cement, and more. Because they are exposed to all forms of nature, it helps them develop their brains and immunity.
Let them express their emotions.
You must also allow your child to feel and express all their emotions. If they want to cry, let them. Don’t tell them that crying is bad or not to cry. Telling them this implies that they should avoid feeling and expressing their emotions. It makes them emotionally challenging. Instead, encourage them to express all their emotions and help them navigate them without throwing tantrums.
Feed them healthy things
What your child eats also affects their brain. So, if the child eats only fast food, sugary items, and treats, their brain development will slow down. A child needs proper nutrients, so ensure they are eating a healthy, balanced diet most of the time. Instead of buying highly processed food, introduce fun food at home, like making a brownie at home where you can control the ingredients rather than buying them from stores with high preservatives.
A child observes everything, and teaching starts at home even before they are born. You don’t always need highly stimulating toys; you can read with them, play outside with them, or help them build something. This will aid your child’s brain development in all four areas.